In Creating cultures of thinking, Ron Ritchhart provides a series of examples from classroom practice to support the idea that eight cultural forces can be utitlised to shape and transform a culture. These are: expectations, language, time, modelling, opportunities, routines, interactions and the environment. I have chosen to focus my attention on interactions as a cultural force, particularly listening and questioning. In Ritchhart's words, "at the heart of of these two practices lies a respect for and interest in students' thinking" (p.9).
My project, or self-study if you will, will involve me playing closer attention to a number of important factors in interactions. First, I will (more self-consciously) aim to build a strong report or connection with each student. Second, I will play close attention to the nature of class discussion, working towards a classroom discussion that genuinely involves all students. As part of the project, I will include some short blog reflections; of which this is the first.
Student Meetings
Often a student starts a new year with a new teacher, and its back to square one. I have asked my students to see me - one per week, one lunch time (I have a small class) - and in this time, to bring me an essay or creative writing piece they completed for English in Year Ten (they have started Year Eleven). I had my first meeting today. James showed me an essay he had achieved an A- in, and as I read over the essay, I made some notes to discuss with him, then and there. He reflected on his strengths as a writer, and some ideas he had about where he could improve. We ended up setting a goal around how he begins the conceptual ideas in a paragraph (he needs to be more concise) - so that he has more room to build a textual-based set of supporting points within the paragraph and essay as a whole. James left, I think, feeling like I had understood his background a little more as an essayist, and I felt the 1:1 time will assist in connection building in the classroom. Being an extension course, I only see the students 2 hours per week, and so moments like this are potentially very valuble.
